Shimano XT 4-Piston Brakes M8120 vs Deore 4-Piston - SAME? Better? ISPEC-EV hack

4-piston #brakes from #Shimano, XT M8120 vs #Deore 4-piston M6120 revealed some interesting facts. Easy hack for the Deore I SPEC-EV band? XT and DEORE 4-piston side-by-side, check the DEORE 4-piston video (below) for more riding impressions.

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⌚ Timeline
0:00 Intro
00:26 XT caliper next to Deore M6120
00:58 Deore XT kit, options
1:56 Disconnected hoses, Install
2:39 Brake lever, XT vs Deore
4:13 ISPEC-EV Hack!
5:32 Disc compatibility
6:55 4-piston caliper, XT vs Deore
8:07 Brake Pad compatibility
9:10 Weight
9:34 Test impressions
10:53 Conclusions

My channel is not sponsored. All opinions are my own, 100% honest. Some of the links in this description are affiliate links. I'll earn a small commission if you make a purchase and it's no additional cost to you, I appreciate your support!

[daviddegea]

I haven't found any other channel that clearly explains all product codings like this one. For riders who take their bikes to the shop and get them serviced, it might be irrelevant. But for those who service or upgrade their own bikes, this information is key to understand princing levels and avoid mixing incompatible parts; it really saves time and headaches. Great job!

[reddieseled]

I didn’t even know these existed until this video. I installed these brakes on my partners bike, and I’m very impressed with the extra power and ability to use just one finger to brake. I’ve bought a set for my bike too with rt76 203 and 180 rotors

[SnootchieBootchies]

I ran the OEM 2 piston deore on my last bike with the finned pads. They were great. I like how shimano is offering high level performance in the lower end components. Just less features and marginally more weight.

[ikeelu]

I almost made the mistake of upgrading my Deore to XT as well. Other than the extra adjustments on the levers, there's no point. I've heard the best upgrade for it is getting the XT Ice Tech rotors with metallic pads on the Deore calipers. That will make a much bigger performance gain than getting XT calipers

[smallhatshatethetruth]

I replaced my cheap ass MT200 front brake with the Deore and I'm impressed with the feel, modulation and power it offers. It's been raining last couple of days and the brakes haven't squeaked either. Only thing I don't like is the clamp. Wish it was less bulky or they had an option of a normal lever mount.

[hansonwang]

I have a set of Deore 4 piston brakes and I love them for what they are.

[sampatterson]

Lordy, this channel is essential MTB content.

[mjgolab]

Thank you very much @loveMTB for these videos exploring the range of 4 piston brakes. After a fairly lengthy wait I have now upgraded to SLX BR-M7120 front and BR-MT520 rear. Keep up the good work. Cheers from Sydney, Australia

[Chazopia]

Dude, your comparison videos are awesome, thank you!!!

[starbound]

J'ai monté des SLX 4 pistons et en suis très satisfait. C'est un bon compromis entre les XT et les DEORE.

[jjobraun]

Thanks for your great review. I personally wouldn’t spend more money than the cost of br-m6120. No increase of power nor useful features. Really like the sintered d02s pads. Enough power for enduro/downhill. I used a thread cutter and added a m4 thread to my deore calipers to be able to use a pad retaining bolt. Just as a hint ;)

[erik]

Perfect as always, thanks for the videos you are on another lever . Greetings from Germany.

[walterkasper]

As always another informative video
Thanks for the great video

[kevinborovsky]

As always your videos are the source to turn too. Thanks for the in-depth comparison on the different brakes, and suggesting an good and cheaper alternative. BTW the Meta sure looks great, but I still like your HT-01 the best🍺

[viniciovieirajr.]

Another very enlightening video !!! Congratulations and thank you !!!

[unkle-user]

Thanks a lot, I just looking to replace my 400 brakes (stock brakes) - they have not enough power for my 29er fs. Choosing between slx and deore 4piston for front.

[polishguywithhardtospellna]

We still don't see a channel's face! Let's face it! 🤣 (Has a new meaning now)
Or face the consequences! 😂

All this is off course only jokes, you run your channel how you like it. It seems it's working. Despite you might wish for faster growth, viewers are often complementing the technical approach, that you're becoming known for. Great work as always 👍👌

[marktechsci]

Good video, very informative.

I didn’t read all the comments, but the lever is the part you pull with your fingers. The master cylinder is the part the lever goes into. The clamp is .. the clamp. You referred to all these parts as the lever in the video at some point. In the beginning I was pretty confused. The Master Cylinders are the same 🙂

[Carlifurafollas]

I use 4 pot XTR at front and my god that thing can stop a car, truly amazing performance!

[elenakana]

again my friend, another excellent video. thank you for your efforts and time to present all of this. i also see that the deore has the bleeding valve in another position from the xt brakes. to tell you the truth i consider the deore system much more appropriate than the xt one. that is because that you can clearly see that the bleedidng valve of the deore circulates the fluid better and covering all the calipers capacity than the xt ones which only covers half of the caliper, this surely makes for a less effort bleeding procedure. Again thank you for your videos.